You can call them goddesses. You can call them dancers. You can even call them athletes. But don't even think about calling them strippers. Sure, Vegas' hardworking, befeathered showgirls may doff their tops from time to time, but they'd never be caught gyrating on a pole. Nudity isn't the point at these lavish, grand spectacles.

The history of the Vegas showgirl is almost as long as the city they call home. The first show with topless dancers, Minsky's Follies, debuted in 1957 at the Dune, though that show was more burlesque than showgirlesque. The first bona fide showgirl performance was with the Lido de Paris Troupe at the Stardust in 1958. But it was the Tropicana that elevated the classic act to icon status. The resort's Folies Bergere, which launched Christmas Eve 1959, is the longest-running show in Vegas and one of only two major revues still can-canning in the city today.

The French import/Sin City institution attracts more than 40,000 people to the Tropicana's 950-seat Tiffany Theatre each month. Audience members attending the adult show must be at least 16, though on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, there's a 7:30 p.m. show that features "covered" dancers. Booth seating is $49.50 per person, table seating is $38.50, and pit seating is $44.00. Vegas' other major revue, Bally's Jubilee!—with its Bob Mackie-designed costumes and plot of, uh, the sinking of the Titanic—is also quite the opulent treat. Tickets range from $50 to $110 and audience members must be 18 or older.

For something a little more modestly sized—but not modestly dressed, by any standards—check out the Riviera Hotel and Casino's Splash. The show also incorporates ice skaters, motorcycle antics and the like, in case the showgirls shaking their tail feathers doesn't do it for you.